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An anonymous reader writes "My kid seems incredibly interested in my Android tablet, but I'm not too comfortable with letting her play with my browser. I've been hunting the app store for apps that I could let my kid play around with, but haven't found much. It seems like most apps are targeted for slightly older kids and are trying to teach them words, math or whatnot. Has anyone found any cool apps for approximately 6-month-old children? I'm mostly looking for something that makes funny noises or where you just have to e.g. track moving objects on the screen."

I wouldn't worry about finding specific apps that are "safe" for a 6-month old. At that age, no parent should even consider letting their child use an Internet-connected device unsupervised. So, if yo show the child something on the web browser, or another app, you should know specifically what you're looking at and should be 100% comfortable with the material.

Put the phone away. Talk to the child. You know: teach human interaction? This is a child, not your personal experiment.

A review of the evidence in the Archives Of Disease in Childhood says children's obsession with TV, computers and screen games is causing developmental damage as well as long-term physical harm. Doctors at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which co-owns the journal with the British Medical Journal group, say they are concerned. Guidelines in the US, Canada and Australia already urge limits on children's screen time, but there are none yet in Britain.http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/oct/09/ban-under-threes-watching-television [guardian.co.uk]

Why would you substitute the acquisition of developmental language skills and the attendant ability to relate and empathise - with a fixation on shiny lights and noises?

I understand that this is Slashdot - but value of the concept cannot be completely alien...

Put the phone away. Talk to the child. You know: teach human interaction? This is a child, not your personal experiment.

A review of the evidence in the Archives Of Disease in Childhood says children's obsession with TV, computers and screen games is causing developmental damage as well as long-term physical harm. Doctors at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, which co-owns the journal with the British Medical Journal group, say they are concerned. Guidelines in the US, Canada and Australia already urge limits on children's screen time, but there are none yet in Britain.http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/oct/09/ban-under-threes-watching-television [guardian.co.uk]

Why would you substitute the acquisition of developmental language skills and the attendant ability to relate and empathise - with a fixation on shiny lights and noises?

I understand that this is Slashdot - but value of the concept cannot be completely alien...

This. A thousand times this. It doesn't matter that they like it, it is still a bad idea to encourage it at that age. Too lazy to cite other sources, but they exist.

I love naive reponses from people with no kids. There are 2 reasons for using electronic devices like a tablet with a baby:1. When I watch my wife entertaining/stimulating/educating/feeding/exercising and walking with our baby for 12 hours a day, I cannot but feel sorry for her. Being able to put the baby in front of a screen for half an hour a day gives her a way to avoid going insane.2. A tablet/TV/computer screen/phone is not a way to avoid responsible parenting. It's simply yet another stimulant in the

With all due respect, attitude like that about kids is what is wrong with this world, please take a look at kids of friends of you that agree on your caring methods, I bet you can find good evidene of your current mistake.

I am a parent, not the best one, but I can see what you are doing wrong here, my girls use tablets and computers, but they are already on elementary school, and that is just one of the tons of activities we need to push them to, and we get really tired, and that is what it's meant to be, p

How about taking care of your kid by *yourself* some in order to give Your Wife a break? The tv/smartphone is your first consideration?!

It was once socially acceptable to dope up children with opiates. Anyone with any common sense should have been able to see this was not healthy.History repeats.

"Youngsters were introduced to the pleasures of opiates at their mothers' breast. Harassed baby-minders - and overworked parents - found opium-based preparations were a dependable way to keep their kids happy and docile; this was an era before Ritalin. Sales of Godfrey's Cordial, a soothing syrup of opium tincture effective against colic, were prodigious. But Godfrey's Cordial had its competitors: Street's Infants' Quietness, Atkinson's Infants' Preservative, and Mrs Winslow's Soothing Syrup.

Opium was viewed as a medicine, not a drug of abuse. Contemporary medical theory didn't allow that one could become addicted to a cure. However, the chemists and physicians most actively investigating the properties of opium were also its dedicated consumers; and this may conceivably have coloured their judgement."

You have no idea...
I have three kids under 6 years old (two of whom are twins). The last thing I'd ever do with a 6 month old is stick a screen or mind-numbing electronic gadget in front of them.
As many posted have said; direct human interaction is what you should be striving for. Or if you're both too knackered (I know, I've been there!), physical object that they can hold and touch are the best alternative.

Why would you choose to give them a mind-numbing electronic gadget instead of a mind-engaging electronic gadget? Do you give your children mind-numbing wooden toys? How about reading them mind-numbing books? Golly I don't give my children mind-numbing anything. Any electronic gadget used in my household engages the mind, like everything else in my house.

You're not supposed to entertain infants. You're supposed to keep them from dying. Anything you do or that they see should be intrinsically motivating for them. This is why they love super boring shit like seeing car keys or business reply cards. If they're bored give them a wooden spoon. All a tablet is going to do is frustrate them.

Am I saying you're a bad parent if you use devices to entertain your less-than-12-month-old infant? Yes, I am. I am straight up judging you and finding you lacking if, after hundreds of thousands of years of non-screen-based infant development, you suddenly are too weak and useless to raise a child without a tiny TV next to them. You're a disgrace to our species.

Source: raised kid without showing them TV until they were after 1 year old. I don't mean they never saw a TV, I'm just saying we never used it as a babysitter or were like "now's the time when you watch tv"

As soon as I ready the title, I knew that some condescending prick would post something like this.

Who the fuck said anything about substituting normal communication with this? Are you somehow incapable of doing more than one thing per day, let alone per week?

Your study proposes imposing limits on screen time, not banning them as if a couple of hours of TV per week is going to mush the kids brains. Stop assuming everyone but you is incapable of having common sense.

Kids at 6 months are VERY alike. Off course the kid loves the tablet, it's got bright, moving, pictures; it's shiny and it makes funny sounds.

I also think it's the stupidest thing to hook a young child on. At that age (s)he's supposed to start looking around, learn how to move and build up a sense of the world and probably even more important : build some social skills, people-interaction. The latter quickly turns into finding ways to get your attention in the most diverse ways which you'll have to 'direct' into some positive way. But heck, you're supposed to play peek-a-boo with him/her, not Angry Birds !

That said, I don't think of it as being "bad" to have the child watch you play on the tablet; can't be worse than e.g. watching TV. But the posters question seems to imply that he wants to let a toddler "play safely" on it without supervision and I can see some kind of time-line evolving like this :* watch zombo.com for a while, get bored* play some tap-the-clown and he starts-laughing games, get bored* play some simple puzzles, get bored...* play some of those never-ending games where time == success and get your reality-view completely screwed up.

(OK, maybe I'm exaggerating here; but I surely am not taking the risk with my kids, and yes I have 2. Have you Icebraining ?)

* play some of those never-ending games where time == success and get your reality-view completely screwed up.

Training the kid for a career in "public service" or a union job might not be too bad for the kid, assuming that not too many parents do it that there aren't enough of the rest of us left to pay for things....

You're not a jackass because you judged some parents who use televisions as babysitters, you're a jackass because you used black-white thinking to put into a single group anybody who uses any electronics around babies. It's shallow thinking. It's prejudice premised on ignorance.

You're really pushing assumptions to absurdity.The article you mention places a huge emphasis on TVs. Incidentally, I don't own a TV.

I use this: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.idle.babytoy [google.com] on my smartphone because my boy (now 1 year old) is very interested in my phone when I'm talking or checking my e-mail. I only pull out the phone 3-4 times a day, and this app lets him mash the screen with very slim chances of accidentally exiting the app. Touching the Home button does nothing and he ge

Being a responsible parent and allowing a child some brief app time don't have to be mutually exclusive, does it? What if you want a simple tool to help you keep your child entertained for a brief amount of time?

Real-world example: the other day I had my 2yr old with me while we went Christmas shopping. I found myself in an unavoidably long line, with him in the cart. I pulled out my phone which had installed on it a simple drawing/painting app. Each new "touch" would choose a random color from a preset palette, and he could drag his finger on the screen to draw lines, circles, or whatever. I then took a photo of him, and he could draw on that as well. We played together on it for maybe 5 minutes, which was really all I needed so we both didn't drive each other a bit crazy while waiting in line.

I don't really see anything wrong with this, and I suspect you wouldn't either -- but I could be wrong. And maybe that's not what the original question was about, but just my $0.02USD.

Hmm, so I gather by that, you mean an Android app that at regular and random intervals annoys the crap out of the user until they put down the device and interact with their children. Failure to interact with children would result in annoyance remaining in place upon all user associated android devices. A parental responsibility reinforcement application;).

I generally take the 'live and let live' approach - but I have to agree here. This guy is a fucking retard. If you're worrying about which APP is suitable for a kid at 6 months old you're really doing something wrong. That is all.

See, the thing is, you can't just power off a baby when the park closes or it's raining or snowing outside. Yes, you shouldn't have your child fixate on blinky things for hours on end. You know what else you don't do? Plop a six month old child in snow bank for 8 hours.

Use your imagination. Taking your child to the park is an example of ONE thing out of many that you could be doing that is better than handing them a tablet and forgetting about them. Read with them, do arts and crafts with them or any of dozens of other things that promotes health and well-being.

At what point did I advocate forgetting about them for hours on end?

Was it here:

stick with them to make sure they're safe and have someone to turn to when *they* want social time. After a little time with activity X you encourage them to move on to something else.

Holy crap! It looks like I said the exact opposite.

You allow them to explore, see what they want to see, play with what they want to play with

The definition of a bad parent is one who does this. The child does not decide what they want to do when they are that young, that is for the parents to decide.

Of course, you would be aware of all this if you were an actual parent instead of a self-appointed child development expert.

And you're another irresponsible moron who should never have had children because you obviously cannot or will not care for them.

Again with the context:

You allow them to explore, see what they want to see, play with what they want to play with (with the exception of knives and guns) and stick with them to make sure they're safe and have someone to turn to when *they* want social time. After a little time with activity X you encourage them to move on to something else.

Strange, it's almost as if you keep taking things out of context on purpose. Either that or you're saying only a bad parent stays with their child, keeps them safe and encourages them to try many activities? Hmm... Strange either way.

Some day I hope you become aware of the fact that children are, at all ages, actually human beings who need to lear

Wishy-washy. You argue against one point and go on to support that very point. Make up your mind.

False dichotomy: Allowing a child to play with a gadget does not require parental abandonment any more than allowing them to play with a stuffed animal does. Any inconsistency or deviation between my two posts was only possible with the application of creative editing which is why I re-quoted the full context. I'm sorry if the real world doesn't match up with your sound-bite sized, pseudo-elite notions of "good" parental practices.

Hmmm, it seems like the problem is the forgetting, not the tablet. If you try a little harder you might develop the ability to think nuanced thoughts so that you can divide those things. Give it a shot, it might be fun for you.

What an obnoxious comment. You'd think that at least here on Slashdot people would be intelligent enough to understand that when somebody asks for an advice on an activity, it doesn't mean that that's the only thing they will do for the rest of their lives.

What was it about the question asked that make you assume that the child would be deprived of the other needful infantile stimulation? Why would some tablet playtime prevent a child from going outside or seeing the world around them?

Seconded.
Both kids have loved this. It's perfect when you need a few seconds of distraction (like changing the diaper of a mad kid)
Similarly, I use bam bam on my laptop. Same idea-puts all keys in a safe mode.

My understanding is that physical play with 3D objects (e.g. blocks) for motor skills and physical interaction with a parent for language skills are much more important to young children than learning apps. Anecdotally, I've heard that kids learn language much better from real interaction with an adult than from language aps.

Although this might be heresy for a tech web site, put away the screens, big and small, for the very young!

My toddler is very interested in my car keys, but I'm reluctant to let him drive my BMW. The iDrive system is somewhat complicated, and I think a RWD performance car might not be appropriate for a first-time driver - especially since here's snow on the ground and he can't reach the pedals. Can anyone recommend a FWD or AWD car with a simpler interface and adjustble pedals which would be appropriate for a sub-2 year old child?

A child shouldn't be handling technology until about 3 years old, as many Slashdot stories have reported. It's also just common sense that so much stimulation so early on is bad for a developing brain.

You mistake interest for curiosity. It is in the child's nature to explore and learn about their environment, but introducing them to your tablet is just going to impede their progress as all their attention is consumed by the device.

If you are not an Android developer yet and would be interested in trying it out, here could be your chance to develop something simple to the platform and possibly even share your work to fill the gap in the app store.

and we decided he will not look at a TV/PC/phone screen before he is two years old as a minimum. We instead try to spend as much as time possible with him doing activities appropriate for a 9 months old baby. Maybe this is the reason why he is so active and curious about what happens around him.... And no, I am not a tech luddite (I am a physicist).

"and no, I am not a tech luddite (I am a physicist)". hmm, for my physics degree I mostly used a pencil and paper, while other majors got to use the University mainframe and micros. then at Fermilab we had to take designs in that same pencil and paper format and put them into FEA for the requests for funding, because "they" wanted to see calculations that came out of a computer....

Little ones tend to toss phones aside when they get them, so be sure that you can fit the phone in some kind of protective case. The better ones out there, at least for iPad and iPhone (and iPod Touch) even have a blocker to prevent pressing the home button. However, they are all standardized for ipods, so be sure to try one on your android device first to be sure it fits and is secured and stable.

I can't speak for pre-toddler apps on android, as for my little one we opted for an iPod touch instead, since

Don't tell me how to raise my kid--I won't tell you how to raise yours. Hate to break it to the fucktards wanting to tell others how to raise your kid--electronics are a large portion of the world for many. Kids will get outside, but why can't they learn and get a fascination with everything?
Anyone actually read the AAP article? The study found children can't cognitively comprehend anything before two--basically there is no educational TV before two. something along the lines that watching SpongeBob

Your kid is slow. When my son surfed out of my wife's vagina I handed the little guy a piece of chalk and he proved Fermat's Last Theorem. I scolded him and told him that was proven 17 years ago! Get working on P != NP, son!

My 3 week old is fascinated by certain shapes. Is there an app that looks like big tits dripping milk that would be something he could play with?

Oh, you have come to the right place for that, my friend! Welcome to the Internet! You can find breasts doing just about anything you can imagine here, including quite a few things you can't imagine, and some you can't even comprehend.

“Our study shows that a two-hour exposure to light from self-luminous electronic displays can suppress melatonin by about 22 percent," said Mariana Figueiro, the lead researcher. “Stimulating the human circadian system to this level may affect sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime.”

“Our study shows that a two-hour exposure to light from self-luminous electronic displays can suppress melatonin by about 22 percent," said Mariana Figueiro, the lead researcher. “Stimulating the human circadian system to this level may affect sleep in those using the devices prior to bedtime.”

Interesting you bring that up. I've started looking at the effects of light on mood and there is some hard science behind it, e.g., light therapy for Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD). I didn't read the linked article, but I assume it discusses certain light wavelengths that stimulate (or repress) responses in the body.

Change the question for "What a baby should be learning at that age?". A learning device with no texture, fake 3d, no smell, taste, heat, or any other input for senses other than sight and hearing maybe could be harmful for his development. Human and nature contact, toys that estimulate his senses (if possible, several, something with more texture than just plastic), a pet, music. A tablet (i.e. very simple games like ant smasher) could be a complement, but not a substitute.

Picture books should be a complement too. For me (as someone that don't know a bit about child education, or psychology) the greater impact should come when integrating information from different senses, specially if that information is rich and consistent. Anyway, matters the question of educating for what. For books? for computers? for interacting with real life objects? That could give weight to one option over the others.

It just so happens there is exactly the application you need. It's called the original all natural boob tube. Round, soft to the touch, a simple circular universal interface with a single button that also dispenses nutritious drink. They come in matching pairs with virtually every mother.

Heh.... I just released this for Android tablets.... now I get to flog it here on Slashdot, LOL.

Seriously, though, it was designed for cats, but the reviews for the webOS version have stated that small children loved it, too. This was more or less confirmed when my 2 year old niece played the new enhanced Android version at a family Christmas party and she was delighted.. there's even an Easter egg in the game to put up a "Scary dog" which jut made her giggle (not my cats, though). She was also much better

Seriously, it's crazy to do that to an infant. An infant is still developing their visual system and learning (by pruning their brain synapses) about the reality of the world around them and how they (the infant) interact with it physically. Providing examples of useless GUI interfaces and ongoing stimuli with poor interaction is a crazy thing to do to an infant. .They need physical toys like rattles and pacifiers and blocks that they can touch and move around and make noise with and learn the "intuitive" laws of physics from them. Give them a few years before you throw Emacs at them. The only Gnu they need to interact with at that tender age is a stuffed Gnu plush toy. And I say this as a fervent believer in children playing with computers: do NOT make infants and toddlers play with computers and tablets..
The American Academy of Pediatrics itself
recommends limiting access to screen time for children under the age of 2 years [nytimes.com].

Absolutely as stated above -- do not use the tablet as a toddler toy! I would even try to avoid exposing children under 2 to the (mesmerizing) television, meaning I would not watch TV while a young child is in the room.

My kid will be two next week and it will be quite some more time until he will be allowed to use a tablet or similar. I find it deeply wrong to let a small kid use those devices.
On top of that the use of such devices seems to have an impact on children's vision and eyesight.

As a forewarning, your child's eye sight isn't fully developed yet at this age, and should probably not use the device before age 2-3 any more than a 3d game consol.

Now, if you still let him or her look at the screen at arm's range, he or she will see bright lights with vague shapes. You'll be able to tell because he or she will have a hard time distinguishing and interacting with precise UI features. Thus, at least do your kid a service by dimming the screen's brightness to the lowest possible setting.

If my own nephew is any indicator, btw, tasting the device will your infant's primary interest, alongside an occasional crash test when it slips. You've little need for fancy apps for that, the device itself and some simple music or drawing app will suffice.

Lastly, as many other posters have suggested already, you should be playing with and talking (very important) to your child, instead of delegating babysitting to a screen.

I have no good app-suggestions for you. But I am eager to pick up the few good suggestion that may emerge here.

And don't mind all the ignorant trolls flaming you about letting your kid play with the tablet. They're either ignorant or not parents themselves (and hence not in a very good position to lecture you on parenting).

They just don't understand that letting your child play with a phone/tablet is not in any way an indication of you spending too little time with the kid.

I am going to interpret the question as the cry for help that it seems to be. It's not that tabs are bad for kids per se, but I'd you are so fucking addicted to your tablet that you can't turn it off when you pick up a baby, you need to get rid of it. Now. If it is your dev platform, leave it at work. Otherwise, open the nearest window and toss it out.

Self-righteous enough? You're obviously never had a screaming toddler on your lap while you're on the phone, when a minute of Talking Ginger on the Nexus is the difference between screaming and giggling contentedly. This isn't mutually exclusive with playing with blocks or stuffed toys.

So giving in to a toddler is the answer?If you do not neglected your kid, it will sometimes cry to try out boundaries. If you give in at the young age, you will give in later as well.You are not the kids best friend. They do not have to think you are great because you give in and do what they want.

You are the parent. You are there for the kid. Giving in is for yourself. This is not about you. This is not about the kid crying. This is about you giving the kid what it needs to grow up and know boundaries.

Giving a baby something bright and shiny to play with to distract them from teething pain for five minutes isn't "giving in". Your argument seems to be that any attempt to stop a child from crying is spoiling them. I wonder how long your attitude would last if you were sat behind a 1 year old on a ten hour flight. Would you prefer their parents tried "In The Night Garden" on the iPad, or a lesson in boundaries?

Don't mistake "The current research" with "One research paper posted on Slashdot a few months ago [slashdot.org] ". You're over-generalizing. Or maybe you are an expert on the subject, but in that case I would be happy to see the other sources you know.